Greenwood outlasts Pine Bluff for 6A title

Greenwood scored 23 consecutive points and held off a late surge from Pine Bluff to take the Class 6A state title 51-44 over the Zebras in War Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
(By David Harten)
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LITTLE ROCK  Drew Morgan said he couldn't describe it. But however he wants to, it's a three-peat for Greenwood.

Morgan, the game's Most Valuable Player for the Bulldogs, went for for 170 total yards, three total touchdowns, nine tackles and an interception and helped them to a 51-44 victory over Pine Bluff for the Class 6A state title at War Memorial Stadium.

From the beginning, the Bulldogs (14-0) and Zebras (12-2) were putting up points, with Jabe Burgess' first throw of the game getting intercepted by Rakeem Leverett. Two plays later, Walter Ashley gave Pine Bluff the lead with a 4-yard touchdown run at the 11:11 mark.

Ashley finished the game with 90 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.

The teams would swap touchdowns, including a 91-yard catch-and-run from Burgess to Austin Harris to make it 28-21 Pine Bluff with 11:11 left in the first half, until Greenwood scored 23 consecutive points to take at 37-28 lead with 9:23 left in the third quarter on a Saul Palmer 3-yard touchdown.

After a Rickey Clements 39-yard touchdown run made it 37-34 Bulldogs, the Zebras tied the game on a 30-yard field goal from Austin McGehee with 5:30 left in the fourth quarter.

Greenwood would retake the lead on back-to-back touchdowns thanks to a 1-yard touchdown run from Burgess and another score from Morgan, this one a 33-yard screen pass from Burgess. Pine Bluff got within a 10-yard touchdown on a diving catch by Devarius Rice with 4:28 left in the game, but Greenwood would convert a 4th and 1 on a 4-yard dive by Palmer with just over two minutes left to hang on.

Clements was named the MVP of the game for Pine Bluff. He finished 13-for-26 for 144 yards passing, three touchdowns and an interception, with 143 rushing yards and a score. Burgess went 14-for-22 for 396 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and a rushing touchdown.